University of Cambridge Language Centre Chinese Intermediate

Mr Zhang takes his leave

Mr Zhang takes his leave

They’ve arrived at the hotel and Lilly and
Mr Zhang are now saying goodbye.

Click on either pinyin or characters to listen to individual words. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.

don’t

to forget

luggage

[grammar particle]

to take somebody to some place

to hope

to rest

really

to trouble

should

by the way

to be away from

far

nearby

on foot

call a taxi

a short while

airport

to pick somebody up

to leave, to walk

to one’s heart’s content

pinyin

Hover the mouse over the Chinese characters for a second to see the pinyin version of that line. You can also click on the right-hand button for all pinyin to be displayed.

Mr Zhang:

Hǎo le, White nǚshì, wǒmen dào le. Bié wàng le nínde xínglǐ.

好了，White女士，我们到了。别忘了您的行李。

Lilly:

Hǎode, xièxie nín, Zhāng xiānsheng.

好的，谢谢您，张先生。

Mr Zhang:

Wǒ jiù bǎ nín sòng dào zhèr le. Xīwàng nín jīntiān néng hǎohāo xiūxi yíxià.

我就把您送到这儿了。希望您今天能好好休息一下。

Lilly:

Tài xièxie nín le. Zhēnshì máfan nín le.

太谢谢您了。真是麻烦您了。

Mr Zhang:

Yīnggāi de, zhè shì wǒde gōngzuò.

应该的，这是我的工作。

Lilly:

Ò, duìle, qǐngwèn nín, gōngsī lí zhèr yuǎn ma?

哦，对了，请问您，公司离这儿远吗？

Mr Zhang:

Bù yuǎn, gōngsī jiù zài bīnguǎn fùjìn, zǒulù shíwǔ fēnzhōng zuǒyòu. Rúguǒ nín jiàochē de huà, yíhuìr jiù dào le.

不远，公司就在宾馆附近，走路十五分钟左右。如果您叫车的话，一会儿就到了。

Lilly:

Tài hǎo le.

太好了。

Mr Zhang:

Nín hái yǒu shénme xūyào wǒ bāngmáng de ma?

您还有什么需要我帮忙的吗？

Lilly:

Méiyǒu le, xièxie nín qù jīchǎng jiē wǒ.

没有了，谢谢您去机场接我。

Mr Zhang:

Bú yòng xiè. Nà wǒ zǒu le. Nín hǎohāo xiūxi ba.

不用谢。那我走了。您好好休息吧。

Lilly:

Hǎode, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín, Zhāng xiānsheng, wǒmen míngtiān gōngsī jiàn.

好的，很高兴认识您，张先生，我们明天公司见。

Mr Zhang:

Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín, White nǚshì, míngtiān jiàn!

我也很高兴认识您，White女士，明天见！

Mr Zhang:

OK, Ms White. We’ve arrived. Don’t forget your luggage.

Lilly:

OK, thanks, Mr Zhang.

Mr Zhang:

I’ll leave you here (lit. I’ll just send you here). Hope you’ll get a good rest today.

Lilly:

Thanks a lot. Thanks for taking the trouble (lit. I’ve really troubled you).

Mr Zhang:

Don’t mention it (lit. should, meaning I should do it), it is my job.

Lilly:

Oh, by the way, may I ask you, is the company far from here?

Mr Zhang:

No, the company is just near the hotel, about fifteen minutes’ walk. If you take a taxi, you’ll get there in no time.

Lilly:

That’s great.

Mr Zhang:

Is there anything else you need me to help you with?

Lilly:

No (lit. there isn’t), thanks for picking me up from the airport.

Mr Zhang:

You’re welcome. I’m going then. Have a good rest.

Lilly:

OK, nice to meet you, Mr Zhang, see you tomorrow at the company.

Mr Zhang:

Nice to meet you too, Ms White, see you tomorrow!

These are notes about potentially difficult key expressions. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.

1. 好好

希望您今天能好好休息一下。Hope you'll get a good rest today.

好好 is used as an adverb, meaning 'fully, to one's heart's content, as much as one wants'. e.g.

终于放假了，我要好好玩玩。It's holiday time finally, and I want to enjoy myself. (lit. play to my heart's content)

让我好好看看。 Let me take a thorough look.

今天让我们好好聊聊。Let's have a chat to our hearts' content today.

Please note that in a colloquial register, one-syllable verbs such as 玩, 看, 聊 are often repeated.

Also note that 好好 is pronounced as hǎohāo, the second part in a first tone.

2. 应该的

应该的，这是我的工作。Don't mention it, it is my job.

应该 means 'should'. 应该的 is often used as a social convention to express duty when replying to someone saying thank you.

The fuller version is: 这是我应该做的。This is what I should do.

3. 对了

哦，对了，请问您…… Oh, by the way, may I ask you…

对了 is an adverbial phrase, used when you suddenly recall something.

4. 如果……的话，……就……

如果您叫车的话，一会儿就到了。If you take a taxi, you'll get there in no time.

如果……的话 means 'if'. In a conditional sentence, 的话 can be omitted. In the second part of the sentence, 就 is always used.

如果明天天气好，我就去。If the weather is good tomorrow, I'll go.

The correct order

Drag the following sentences into the order according to how they appear in the dialogue. For help, click on the audio to hear each sentence. The audios are in the correct order. Check your answers.

  • 谢谢您。

  • 太谢谢您了。

  • 真是麻烦您了。

  • 应该的。

  • 这是我的工作。

  • 谢谢您去机场接我。

  • 不用谢。

  • 您好好休息吧。

check Answers